Antistatic finish

Abrasives that are used specifically for the processing of non-conductive materials (such as wood or plastic) are given an antistatic coating as early as during their production, i.e. they are supplemented with electrically conductive ingredients that ensure that electric charges can be safely discharged via the abrasive and, thus, via the machine.

The friction generated between different materials inevitably causes electrons to migrate between the surfaces grinding against each other, thus resulting in separation of charges which will lead to differences in electrical charge in non-conducive materials that cannot be offset. The consequences are, for instance, adhesions of electrically charged grinding dust on the adhesive belts, the machine or the work piece, which cannot be discharged even by the best dust exhaust system. The aforementioned phenomenon and the resulting dust adhesions can be prevented and minimised, respectively, by the use of abrasives with an antistatic finish, which is commonly used in wood-working and which may also extend the service life of the abrasive.

Naturally, all abrasives included in Klingspor's range of wood finishing abrasives are equipped with an antistatic finish and labelled accordingly in the stamp image on the reverse ("Antistatic"). Some models (e.g. PS 24 F, CS 538 Z) even include an antistatic finish on the grinding side, in addition to the "basic configuration" where the backing (paper, cloth) is antistatic, as their resin bond is also supplemented with electrically conductive substances (e.g. graphite). These abrasives offer superior antistatic protection that provides for a nearly dust-free grinding process even under extreme conditions when combined with a suitable dust exhaust system.